One of Starwood Hotels’ most enduring problems is the inconsistency and declining reputation of their flagship Sheraton brand. They’ve now detailed their 10 point plan to revitalize the brand by 2020. Here’s what they have in store.
Starwood will be offering a promotion to earn a free Sheraton weekend night for every 5 nights you stay with Sheraton over nearly three months. All Sheratons will be eligible for earning and redemption, and the promotion will be stackable with other Starwood bonuses.
A collection of interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.
Malaysia Airlines has deep financial problems and is going through a restructuring. They’re largely focusing on regional routes rather than ultra long haul travel. And they’re offloading some aircraft and laying off thousands of staff to lower costs.
But they’re also going to introduce a new fully flat business class seat for their A330s and Boeing 777s. They’re also going to revamp their lounge strategy — closing some lounges, generating revenue through contracts with partners for access for others, and closing lounges as well.
I’m banging my head against the wall again, because another USA Today piece gets its understanding of airlines exactly backwards. Can you guess the author?
Virgin Australia is the best way to use miles for a premium cabin award between the US and Australia. They’re a Delta partner, and the product is super… and getting better.
A collection of interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.
I’ve shared the elite stats for some programs in the past, now we know some more – and specifics – from a hotel chain’s CEO.
Starwood’s summer promotion isn’t live yet at SPG.com, and hasn’t been announced. But someone registered a new username on an online forum to leak the promo’s details. Here’s what they’re said to offer…
Yesterday the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to expand immigration pre-clearance to 10 new airports around the world.
Here’s what preclearance is and how it works — the upsides and downsides for travelers, and why the US government wants to do it. I don’t like it one bit.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
